1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus for storing jobs transmitted from an external information processing apparatus, and displaying or outputting jobs after filtering job data in accordance with user information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a job output system in an environment in which an image forming apparatus typified by an MFP (multi-function peripheral) or an LBP (laser beam printer) and an information processing apparatus typified by a PC (personal computer) are connected via a network has been proposed (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-105937). In such a job output system, the user enters a job, such as printing, into the image forming apparatus from the PC, and the image forming apparatus stores the entered job and holds job data.
Next, after the user has input user information from an operation panel of the image forming apparatus, the job related to the user stored in the image forming apparatus is displayed, and that job is output from the image forming apparatus by instructing output. In another form, the job related to the user stored in the image forming apparatus is automatically processed, after the user has input user information.
In the job output system proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-105937, a job stored within the image forming apparatus is displayed or output in accordance with user information. Thus, this job output system has the advantage of preventing output by other users and the advantage of being able to reduce the time and effort required for the user to select a job related to himself or herself out of a large number of jobs. Moreover, in the case where saved data is printed, an effect of preventing a printed document from being stolen can also be expected, given that the user will be in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus that performs output.
In the above-described job output system, user information is attached to a job by the information processing apparatus that enters the job, and in the case where user information input to the image forming apparatus matches the user information attached to the job, the image forming apparatus treats that job as a job of the user. However, although the user is the same, the user information handled in the image forming apparatus and the user information handled in the information processing apparatus are not necessarily the same. That is to say, there are cases where the same person uses different pieces of user information between the image forming apparatus and the information processing apparatus. Moreover, there are cases where a plurality of different pieces of user information are held, regardless of whether the user is conscious of it or not, with different pieces of user information being used in the environment in which the job is entered and the environment in which the job is displayed.
In such cases, despite the fact that it was actually the same user that entered the job and input the user information to the image forming apparatus, the user information will be mismatched, since the user information attached to the job will be different from the user information input to the image forming apparatus. Thus, the problem that a desired job associated with that user is not displayed or output on the image forming apparatus may occur.
Moreover, in the case where the image forming apparatus and the information processing apparatus employ different authentication methods or authentication forms, there is a problem in that it cannot necessarily be guaranteed that a user having the same attribute managed in the information processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus can be authenticated as the same user.
Furthermore, even though the users are different, if the user information attached to the job matches the user information input to the image forming apparatus, that job may be treated as a job of the same user on the image forming apparatus. In such a case, if the job contains confidential information, there is a possibility that the confidential information may be leaked.